Wash the potatoes and pat dry with paper towels or a cloth kitchen towel. Dice the potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Line a baking sheet with a few loosely crumpled dry paper towels and set aside.

Over medium high heat in a large, thick-bottomed skillet, heat ½ of an inch of the olive oil and one potato cube until the potato begins to sizzle. When it does, add more potato cubes, being careful not to crowd them. You will have to work in batches; if you have more than one thick-bottomed skillet this will go much faster, as you can do 2 skillets at a time. Sauté the potato cubes, stirring and turning frequently, until they are tender and golden brown on all sides.

When the potatoes are done, use a slotted spoon or spatula to transfer them to the paper towel-lined baking sheet. Use more paper towels to soak up any excess oil. Sprinkle with ground sea salt crystals.

Transfer the potato cubes to a serving platter and drizzle evenly with the chili oil, shaking the platter a bit to spread the heat around. Stick each cube with a toothpick – or provide the toothpicks in a small dish on the side for your guests – and serve with the chilled Garlic Mayonnaise (transfer the mayo to a small serving bowl and keep chilled in a larger bowl filled with crushed ice if this is going to sit outside for any length of time).

Yield: 6-8 appetizer servings

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